Inovio Rallies On Accelerated COVID-19 Vaccine Development Timeline

Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc INO announced an accelerated timeline Tuesday for the development of its INO-4800 vaccine targeting the COVID-19 virus. 

The Plymouth, Pennsylvania-based company focuses on developing precisely designed DNA medicines to treat and protect patients from HPV, cancer and infectious diseases. 

The timeline was shared by Dr. Joseph Kim, Inovio's CEO, at the U.S. Coronavirus Task Force meeting Monday at the White House, according to the company. 

Inovio said it plans to have 1 million doses of the INO-4800 COVID-19 DNA vaccine produced by the end of 2020 either for an emergency or for further trials.

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Here's a brief of the timeline shared by the company:

• Jan. 10-23: INO-4800 designed, preclinical testing begins.
• Jan. 23: The company received a grant of up to $9 million from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations for preclinical and initial clinical development. 
• Jan. 23- Feb. 29: Immune responses are to be generated in animal models and clinical trial designs are to be developed
• March: finalization of human trial designs; 3,000 human trial doses prepared for clinical trials in the U.S., China and South Korea; development of large-scale manufacturing plan. 
• April: human trials to begin in the U.S., China and South Korea. 
• Fall 2020: Publication and presentation of human trial results. 
• End of 2020: 1 million doses of INO-4800 vaccine to be produced. 

Inovio said it is the only company with a Phase 2 vaccine for a related coronavirus — the virus that causes MERS.

The company said it designed the DNA vaccine in three hours after the publication of the genetic sequence of COVID-19.

The company announced in late January that it is developing INO-4800 in collaboration with Beijing Advaccine Biotechnology. At that time, the company said it commenced animal testing and was preparing clinical products for a planned Phase 1 trial in China while also stepping up clinical development efforts in the U.S.

Inovio is among the scores of companies that are developing therapies or vaccines for COVID-19.

Inovio shares were jumping 18.68% to $5.21 at the time of publication Tuesday.